In Repair: Towards a Post-Throwaway Society & Umbrella Recovery Workshop
Sep 20, 2017
In Repair: Towards a Post-Throwaway Society
Symposium at Spring House, 8-10pm
Thursday October 5Doors open from 7:30pmWhat would society look like if we assigned a central role to repair? And what happens if we see repair as more than a quick fix? The symposium ‘In Repair: towards a post-throwaway society’ builds on recent studies of repair which frame the concept in an emphatically broad context. Activities such as mending, renovating, healing, rehabilitating, revitalizing, curing or hacking help us deal with problems in a social, sustainable, and resourceful way. During this evening we depart from a critical take on repair, to explore how repair thinking could set directions for a post-throwaway society -- a society where imperfection, broken systems, relations & objects are welcomed rather than shunned; a logic of breakdown bridges past, present and future; and where tax might shift from labour to natural resource use.Keynote: Prof. Steven Jackson, coordinator of the NSF Repair, Maintenance, Sustainability research program at Cornell University, introducing 'Broken world thinking'Speakers: Femke Groothuis, director of Ex’Tax, Prof. Ellen Rutten and Jakko Kemper, coordinator and researcher at the Sublime Imperfections NWO research program at UvA, curator & Repair Society initiator Joanna van der Zanden
Register for the symposium via https://in-repair.eventbrite.nl/.
Entrance: 5 euro (incl. drinks).Note: Donate your broken umbrella for the Umbrella Recovery Workshop by artist Julia Mandle (see below).
Umbrella Recovery Workshop
Spring House, 10am-2pm, Friday October 6
Reflections on society through an explorative workshop with artist Julia Mandle in which broken umbrella’s are studied, repaired and hacked.
With an interview with the artist and talks on repair practices by Fabienne Rachmadiev (researcher at the Sublime Imperfections NWO research program at UvA) and dr. Yngvar Steinholt (associate professor in Slavic studies & cultural history, Tromso University).
Register for the workshop by sending an e-mail to: joanna@throwingsnowballs.nl
Participation is free and includes lunch (limited places).
Both programs are made possible by the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, the University of Amsterdam, Spring House, and Repair Society.